7

Arjun climbed into the cab beside Professor Kirkdene, taking half the seat. Tonya crammed in beside him on the window side. She had to lean into Arjun to close the door. He smiled. They were acquaintances in the Digital Ninjas, because he was Priya’s friend. In the catacombs, he’d stood by Marta and never once defended Tonya, but now he chatted animatedly as if they were BFFs. Buddy, make up your mind.

Choking on rank odors from the flatbed, Tonya hit the window button and let the wind ruffle her hair.

“Almost there.” Kirkdene floored it.

Good. Manure fumes and Arjun’s mixed signals were torture. But she had no choice. This was her chance to win over Kirkdene. Once she showed him what a hard worker she was, he’d have to relent and let her use her powers.

Wouldn’t he?

They drove east to the limits of town and then sped north, slowed, then turned east again onto a faded two-lane highway. On either side, fields of young corn and pumpkin blossoms flew by, reminders of last Halloween. Despite the heat, Tonya shivered.

“Where are we going?” Arjun asked.

“I keep a farm near here. We have chickens, goats, and a donkey to scare the coyotes. I grow organic garlic and wildflowers for honey, which is where you come in. I need help to spread the honey.” He thumbed back at his cargo.

“If that’s honey,” Tonya said, “cows have black and yellow stripes.”

“And bees say moo.” Arjun laughed.

How much longer until she could get away from that “honey?” It felt like the stench was soaking into her clothes. They’d smell it on her when she went back to the dorm.

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Fifteen very long minutes later, they turned between twin maples onto a gravel laneway. Gravel crackled under the tires all the way to a red brick farmhouse with a shiny steel roof.

Beside it stood a weathered gray barn that was missing several upright boards. They had branded the year 1810 over the gaping door. The bottom sheltered cows, and the second floor supported an unused hayloft. These days, harvesters rolled hay into wheels wrapped in white plastic, which were left on the fields like enormous cheeses.

The moment the truck stopped, Tonya leaped out and took a deep breath of fresh air. Bad mistake. Extra fresh manure smell filled her nose and made her cough until her eyes watered.

Beside Arjun, Kirkdene looked shorter than he had in the tunnels. From the flatbed, he snatched a pair of shovels. “You see that mound of cow flaps around the feeding station?”

Tonya wished she couldn’t. A handful of cows stood ankle-deep in a pond of liquid manure.

“Yes.” Arjun winced.

“Shovel it into the flatbed, and then we’ll spread it over the garlic field.”

“You can’t make us do that.” Arjun protested. “We’re your students.”

He answered with his eyes on Tonya. “Participation is voluntary, but I have a lot of friends in this town.”

Arjun gasped, then started to gag and cough.

“You expect me to do it by hand?” It would take Tonya a week.

“Don’t worry. You can both get extra credit for using magic.”

“So, you’ll take my anklet off?” Relief surged through her. He’d let her use her powers!

“Not a chance, jailbird.”